Gerwin Palec

 

Reflection on Technology Researching and Experimenting

One of my weak points in Academic journey is solving problems in Mathematics. I spend a lot of time to get the correct answer. The more I see myself low in that point, the more I pursue to learn something new. I am so happy if I got it right. I can say, perseverance in learning new things is crucial to our success—the same with my journey in researching and experimenting with modernized technology in teaching. At first, I am aloof in doing. Still, as I push myself to learn new things and do the weekly task in BYU- Idaho, I benefited from many good things that the technology could offer. Now, I enjoy using technology tools to teach my family, especially to my eight-year-old son. It helps me get his attention in using those tools in teaching him how to learn the English language. It also helps my calling in the church as I recorded videos of myself teaching the gospel. These platforms make my life easier in doing my responsibility. Technology plays a vital role in our society today. We can use it wisely or foolishly. As I am researching and experimenting with the use of modernized technology in teaching, I realized that technology has many benefits in our daily interaction with others. It can help us communicate all over the world quickly. Families are getting closer all over the world through sharing using different platforms. Technology can also improve engagement.

I remember when I teach in the Relief Society class using Kahoot for the first time. To my surprise, it was more engaging. The class participated actively and appreciatively. It can encourage individuals to learn at their speed using technology. My nephew, sister, and a friend played the ESL quiz using the tool Quizizz, and we enjoyed it a lot. I can still remember the things because you can repeatedly do it for yourself at your speed. It encourages collaboration because you can practice this skill by getting involved in different online activities and projects. There, you can give instructions on what to do for them to use the technology while improving communication skills. It could build friendship and trust because every time I have a hard time or trouble using technology, I can ask for help from experts.

However, there are disadvantages to using technology as well. Sometimes it could waste my time, especially if I got into the wrong choices on what to use. I spent hours, but I failed to use it. I felt so exhausted. I am also sometimes distracted by my smartphone and iPod when many messages and notifications are not worth my time. Some technology can distract us from our work, study, and many more. Gadgets sometimes are addictive. It can genuinely waste our time and forget the things that are matter most.  My advice is that watch yourself all the time in using technology. Try to avoid extensive use that can lead to addiction without gaining knowledge. See to it that our children use technology to learn useful things and help them grow academically, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. If possible, limit your time in using technology in work, recreation, and study. I learned a lesson from my instructor this week that we must set goals and learn how to master the techniques to achieve them. Getting the methods needed to reach our goals includes becoming the master manager of our time.

            In conclusion, researching and experimenting using modernized technology in teaching both students and teachers are essential today. It could help a teacher save time. It could make and do the task efficiently. Modern learning is about collaborating with others, solving complex problems, practicing critical thinking, developing communication skills, and leadership. It could develop many practical skills such as creating presentations, learning to differentiate reliable from unreliable sources on the internet, maintaining proper online etiquette, and writing emails. These are essential skills and knowledge we could gain in using technology. Let us use them for our benefit and improvement.